


Collar Bars and Chevrons

by Kahtya Sofia (KahtyaSofia)



Category: Generation Kill
Genre: M/M, Missing Scene, Pre-Slash, YAGKYAS 2010
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-28
Updated: 2010-12-28
Packaged: 2017-10-14 04:14:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/145273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KahtyaSofia/pseuds/Kahtya%20Sofia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Poke sends Brad to check on Nate after an uncharacteristically sharp response to an offer of help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Collar Bars and Chevrons

**Author's Note:**

> Written as a place holder/Good Cookie for YAGKYAS 2010, blueskypenguin

“Yo, dawg,” Poke’s voice emerged from the darkness before he did. “LT’s in need of an intervention.”

Brad sighed heavily, weary clear down to his bones. “What kind of racially motivated repression is our Platoon Commander engaging in?”

Impatience flashed across Poke’s face briefly, then was gone. “This is serious, Brad. Shit’s rollin’ downhill so fast and hard, even Gunny can’t keep the LT zen.”

Brad sat up straighter and turned in his Humvee seat so that both feet were now on the ground. “What the fuck has happened now?” he demanded, ignoring the twitch in his trigger finger.

“When me, Pappy and Lovell went to tell the LT we got his back if the Captain pushes this bullshit about insubordination, he snapped. Big time.”

Brad sat silently in disbelief. “You went to the LT and offered to mutiny and you’re surprised he had a strong opinion about it?”

“It wasn’t like that. And you ain’t hearin’ me. You know the LT has a good fuckin’ command presence.” he paused for Brad’s confirming nod. “Even when one of us fucks up and he gets that tone of voice, he still just talks. He never yells, dawg, and he never loses his shit.”

“Did Gunny hear?” Anxiety that even Mike’s easy ways couldn’t steady the LT anymore, gnawed at Brad’s gut.

“After LT stormed off by himself, Gunny said that the shit was on the LT and he wanted it to stay there.” Poke kicked restlessly at the dirt at his feet. “I just think LT’s bending under the pressure, Brad. Can’t let him break.”

Brad clenched his jaw. As a TL, he wanted his Platoon Commander functioning at a hundred percent. It was the other part of Brad, the part that should have stayed home in Oceanside, that wanted to seek Nate out and try to lend comfort.

“What the fuck do you expect me to do?”

Poke’s expression clearly called bullshit on Brad. “Gunny’s good at takin’ care of the Lieutenant. Maybe the part of LT that doesn’t wear bars on his collar could use some lookin’ after.”

The hair on the back of Brad’s neck stood up. There was an implication in Poke’s words that could be dangerous.

“All I’m sayin’ is, go take him for a walk and watch the rockets’ red glare, like you guys sometimes do,” Poke said, when Brad remained silent.

It was less what Poke had said, than his expression, which had Brad capitulating. “Fine. You’re responsible for keeping Ray out of trouble.”

“That’s cold, dawg.”

~*~

“Now I know Armageddon is coming, if you’re rollin’ up on us, too,” Mike greeted, derisively.

Nate’s expression was stony and his eyes glittered angrily, even in the dark. Brad had seen that look before, but something was different tonight.

“I come in peace, Gunny,” Brad said. “Just wanted to apologize to the LT for the well meaning, yet still retarded, Marines who rolled through here earlier. They’d locked and loaded their mouths, instead of their brains.”

There was an interminable pause as Mike watched the LT closely, before Nate snorted a laugh. His shoulders eased slightly, but he didn’t relax as much as Brad wanted him to.

“Up for a walk, LT?” he asked.

“Need your hand held in the dark, Sergeant?”

Brad smiled briefly at the spark of the Nate he knew. “Thought I’d spell Mike from holding yours.”

Mike and Nate exchanged a fleeting look. He couldn’t tell if Mike was for or against his offer. Brad swallowed against the lump in his throat as he waited for Nate’s answer.

With a deep sigh, Nate shifted his weapon and stood. Without a word, he moved off into the dark.

“Get a move on, Sergeant,” Mike said, flipping his NVGs down over his face.

Brad caught Nate in just a few strides.

“Espera told me what happened, sir,” Brad said. “I’ll have a talk with them.”

Nate was silent for nearly a minute. “I appreciate their loyalty, Brad. The gesture isn’t lost on me.”

“I know it’s not, sir. I appreciate your efforts to keep the shit from rolling any further downhill than it already has.”

Brad realized it added to the reasons why he liked and admired Nate as an officer. It was how he felt about the man that made him so fucking nervous.

They crested a berm. The night was clear and the moon just full enough to give them a decent view of the vast desert.

“You know it’s not your job to worry about me?” Nate asked, turning to face Brad fully.

Brad felt slapped. “Yes, sir. I’m sorry, sir.” he took a step down the side of the berm. “I need to get back to my team.”

Nate’s hand on his arm felt scalding through his blouse. “I’m sorry. That didn’t come out right. I just don’t want you taking on more than you have to, Brad.”

“I can say the same thing. That’s sort of the reason I’m here.”

“I’m doing my damndest to keep this shit with the Captain from fucking with you guys. The fact that you even know there is shit with the Captain means Griego is shooting off his big mouth again … I have no business telling you all of this, Brad.”

Brad took a step closer to Nate and could feel the warmth of his body span the gap between them. “For the next five mikes, there are no stripes on my shoulders and no bars on your collar.”

Nate’s eyes burned straight through Brad.

“Am I fucking up?”

“No. You’re not.”

“He’s my Company Commander. I should respect his authority. Follow his orders and not question.”

“You respect his authority, Nate. What you don’t respect is him. He lets you down at every turn. You don’t question his orders, you question his competence.”

Nate was hardly blinking and Brad didn’t dare look away.

“I have to get you out of here alive.” Nate’s voice was rough with emotion.

“I’m sorry?” Brad knew something between them had shifted. He knew what he wanted the change to signal, but he didn’t trust himself to read the situation correctly.

“I want more than five mikes without stripes and bars affecting our every conversation.” Nate traced a finger along one of Brad’s chevrons. “In order to have that, I have to get you out of here alive.”

Brad’s blood roared in his ears. “Trust your own judgment. Follow your heart and your gut.”

One corner of Nate’s mouth lifted, almost imperceptibly. Brad’s eyes dropped to Nate’s mouth and he couldn’t look way. He knew he should. It was hard enough resisting the sudden urge to lean down and press his lips to Nate’s.

“I’m not sure my judgment is very sound, right now,” Nate murmured.

“If you keep climbing out of your truck in the middle of firefights, I’m going to start to agree,” Brad replied, trying to lighten the mood and still make a point.

“That was when I first realized I needed to get you back home alive.”

“I need you to make it back along with me.”

Nate’s eyes widened slightly. He nodded once.

“Lieutenant?” Mike’s call was soft, but still sounded like a gunshot in the dark.

Brad took one, long step backward and out of Nate’s space.

“Yeah, Mike?” Nate answered.

“Sorry to disturb, but I need you for this.”

“On my way.” Nate was still looking right at Brad. “Bars and stripes are back on, it seems.”

“For the time being, sir,” Brad promised. He hoped it was something Nate could hang on to, whenever things got rough for him again.

Side by side, they descended the berm.

As they drew closer to where Mike stood, Brad spoke again. “Have you decided to NJP the mutineers, sir? Or would you like me to save you the trouble and kill them in their sleep?”

Nate chuckled and even Mike smiled. “Have mercy on them, Sergeant. A stern talking to will do.”

“Roger that.” Brad headed off in the direction of his Humvee, realizing he had something more than just his motorcycle to look forward to when he got home.


End file.
